SEATTLE – Should the American League MVP Award be headed to Southern California?

Specifically, should Kendry Morales become the third Angel to win the Most Valuable Player award after Don Baylor (1979) and Vladimir Guerrero (2004)?

Angels manager Mike Scioscia says Morales, who ended August with a .314 average, 30 homers (fifth in the AL) and 94 RBIs (fourth), should be at the top of voters’ lists.

It doesn’t hurt that Morales has more RBIs (45) than anyone since the All-Star break.

It’s not that other players don’t have comparable glittery numbers; it’s what Morales has meant to the Angels.

“If you look at the numbers, there’s no question that he’s as much an MVP candidate as anyone,” Scioscia said before Tuesday’s game.

He went on to mention current batting leader Joe Mauer of the Twins and current RBI leader (and former Angel) Mark Teixeira as other candidates worthy of note.

And he remains acutely aware of the East Coast bias that tends to crop up in just voting. As Scioscia put it, “word travels west to east a little slower.”

“One obvious guy you have to look at is Mauer, and Tex (Teixeira) is having a great year with New York,” the manager said. “But we’re a different lineup without Kendry.”

Morales has played in 122 of the Angels’ 130 games entering play Tuesday and leads the club in homers, RBIs and slugging percentage.

The switch hitter was moved up in the lineup for Tuesday’s game, going from his customary No. 6 spot to No. 5 with Juan Rivera moving down one slot.

“Kendry is going to be in a good spot hitting behind Vlad,” Scioscia said. “For us, it breaks up (three) right- handed hitters in a row.”

This isn’t the last lineup change the Angels are likely to see.

“We’re still tinkering as we move forward,” Scioscia said.

On the eve of their newest pitcher, lefty Scott Kazmir, making his Angels debut, the club sent promising infielder Sean Rodriguez to the Tampa Bay Rays as the player to be named later in the deal.

Rodriguez wasn’t a player the Angels were keen on trading, but with Kazmir, who starts today in Seattle, the club has a starter under contract with the potential to be as good as anyone in the league when he’s right.

“Sean Rodriguez will be a very good major league player,” Scioscia said. “But we got a pitcher with the potential to be a Cy Young award candidate. To get that kind of pitcher, you’ve got to give up talent.

“No one here doubts Rodriguez’s ability. He has the potential to be a very good player. But what we needed right now hopeful Scott Kazmir will give us.”

Rodriguez to Tampa

New kids on the block

The Angels welcomed five players from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday as the roster limit expanded from 25 to 40.

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